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Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has exhorted the Assam Rifles to keep its flag flying high through hard work and dedication, in the true spirit of it being “friends of the hill people”.Appreciating the role played by Assam Rifles in ensuring security, peace and development of the North East region, the Home Minister, at a ‘Sainik Sammelan’ at the Assam Rifles Training Centre here on Friday, said the country’s oldest paramilitary force has been carrying out an exemplary dual service of guarding the porous 1,642-km long Indo-Myanmar border and counter-insurgency operations.Stating that North East is a strategic area and its security of paramount importance, Singh pointed out the difficult task at hand for the Assam Rifles in guarding an “open border”, where a free movement regime is also in place for uninterrupted travel to each others’ territories by people of both the countries. He also highlighted some of the measures initiated by the present government for the welfare of the jawans.Earlier, the Home Minister was received by Lt General Shokin Chauhan, Brig Gurjap Singh, Commandant, Assam Rifles Training Centre & School and other officials of civil administration.Rajnath Singh also inaugurated the KB Limbu Swimming Pool, and NB Thapa Indoor Sports Complex and witnessed the display of skills by the recruits, especially in counter-insurgency. The Home Minister also hoisted the National Flag at the Auditorium Complex of the Training Centre. The mast of the flag — 100 ft — is the highest in the state of Nagaland.A barakhana was also organised in honour of the Home Minister, where he interacted with the recruits as well as the training staff of the Centre and School.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Rejecting the plea of a Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) jawan, whose pay scale was reduced for losing 32 rounds of ammunition, the Delhi High Court (HC) termed it a grave and serious offence.On September 5, 2011, Head Constable Subey Singh had gone to fetch water while being posted at Vijay Ghat, leaving behind three magazines, 96 rounds of 9 mm. When he came back, he found only 64 rounds of ammunition, following which an enquiry was constituted, which found him guilty of negligence.Singh was punished with a reduction in the pay scale for three years. It was also ordered that Singh would not earn any increment during this period and that on the expiry of this period, the reduction would have the effect of postponing his future increment in pay. He then challenged the order, passed by the CISF Commandant.Singh contended that he had gone to fetch water from a nearby source as there was no provision of potable water or washroom at the ground post. He further said there was no other person on ground duty at the time and that these circumstances must be taken into account while imposing the punishment on him.In his plea, he further said the missing rounds of ammunition were later recovered, a fact that was ignored by the Disciplinary Authority.A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Navin Chawla rejected the plea and termed the loss of ammunition a serious misconduct.”We do not find any merit in this submission made by the petitioner. The submission on disproportionately must be rejected and repelled, as the charge of failure to keep and take care of the ammunition was grave and serious. It was not a trivial and minor matter,” the court said in its order.”We found nothing wrong with the impugned orders holding him guilty of the charges levelled against him. Recovery of the ammunition at a later stage would not absolve the petitioner of gross negligence and remissness in misplacing the ammunition in the first place,” the court stated.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>For the first time, the state government deployed a green corridor for the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to reach the building collapse site at Bhendi Bazaar, which helped the team skip peak-hour traffic.Normally, green corridors, which refer to traffic-free lanes for a faster commute, are used for medical emergencies and transportation of organs for transplant.The state government will now incorporate it as a standard operating procedure for emergency vehicles responding to a disaster call to improve response time.Medha Gadgil, Additional Chief Secretary (Relief and Rehabilitation), said the state disaster control room was intimated about the building collapse at 8.55 am, after which the NDRF unit was activated. The NDRF personnel started for the site at 9.05 am from Andheri Sports Complex, where they are based.”When chief secretary Sumit Mullick and I reached the Mantralaya control room at 9.30 am, we realised that the NDRF team was stuck in peak-hour traffic. We spoke to Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Amitesh Kumar to activate the green corridor to reduce the response time and save lives,” Gadgil said. “We will document and instruct all departments to create a green corridor for emergencies,” he said.Sachindananda Gawade, Deputy Commandant, NDRF, said they had taken almost 35 minutes to reach Vakola from Andheri due to heavy traffic. “But, the green corridor was activated after Vakola. The traffic police deployed a two-wheeler rider to pilot our vehicles, clear traffic jams and keep signals open to create a dedicated lane,” he said. The NDRF reached the accident site in around an hour. “Since this was peak hour, we could have otherwise taken more time to reach the spot,” Gawade said.The NDRF eventually deployed three teams, each consisting of 45 officers and two sniffer dogs to the site.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>A two-year-old boy accidentally fell into an open borewell in Guntur district last evening and was successfully rescued after a 10-hour operation by the National Disaster Response Force and other teams. The child is now undergoing treatment in the Government General Hospital in Guntur and is expected to be discharged later today. The boy Chandrasekhar’s parents, villagers of Ummadipalem and the rescue teams erupted in cheers as he was slowly brought out from the borewell around 2.30 am. A 30-feet wide parallel crater was dug from where the NDRF team inserted a plank into the borewell at 22-feet so that the boy — stuck at about 15 feet — did not slip further. From there he was carefully pulled out, a NDRF official said. A mobile phone was also lowered into the borewell to let the child hear the voice of his parents as the rescue operation continued, the official added. The 40-member NDRF team was led by Deputy Commandant Madhusudan Reddy. Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister (Home) N China Rajappa congratulated the NDRF, police and revenue teams over the successful operation. He said in a statement this morning that steps would be taken to close all defunct borewells in the state to prevent such untoward incidents. Health Minister K Srinivasa Rao visited the child in the hospital today and said his condition was stable.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel today successfully evacuated six pregnant women in flood-hit areas of Bihar and took them to nearest hospital for delivery. Six pregnant women were evacuated and taken to nearest hospital in flood-hit Muzaffarpur, Purnea and Katihar districts during relief and rescue operation carried by the force in inundated areas of Bihar, a NDRF statement said. Commandant of 9th NDRF Battalion based in Bihta in Patna district said that the force boats have a nursing staff as well a Medical First Respondent who helps pregnant women and others who needs immediate medicare. During flood relief and rescue operation last year in Bihar, the NDRF personnel had helped four women deliver healthy babies on their boat itself. A total of 23 NDRF teams are rendering services to marooned people in different parts of Bihar. Three teams each are deployed in Motihari, Bettiah, Purnea and Sitamarhi, two teams are engaged in operation in Kisanganj and Katihar while one team each is deployed in Supual, Gopalganj, Darbhanga, Araria, Madhubani, Muzaffarpur and Patna districts, the statement said. The statement said that today the NDRF personnel evacuated 4,580 people from flooded areas and took them to saver places. The trained NDRF personnel also saved lives of three persons, two in Bettiah and one in Purnea, from drowning in flood waters.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Celebrating the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan, Pakistani Rangers today gifted a box of sweets to the Border Security Force (BSF) on the Indian side of Attari/Wagah border here.Security personnel of both the sides hugged and shook hands with each other, besides sharing pleasantries for a few minutes, officials said.Pakistani Wing Commander Bilal shook hands with BSF Commandant Sudeep during the sweet giving ceremony to mark Pakistan’s Independence Day celebration at the Joint Check Post of Attari/Wagah border, they said.The BSF personnel would offer traditional Indian sweets to their Pakistani counterparts on the 71st Independence Day of India tomorrow, they added.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The six-year-old daughter of slain CRPF Commandant Pramod Kumar and his wife will tomorrow unfurl the tricolour from the same battalion camp in Srinagar, where exactly an year ago he saluted the flag and was killed minutes after in a militant encounter. Kumar was today decorated by the government with the Kirti Chakra, the third highest peacetime gallantry medal, for his dare devil action where he picked up his AK-47 and rushed to the Nowhatta Chowk area after he was told his patrol party was under attack. The Commanding Officer (CO) of the 49th battalion of the CRPF suffered a fatal bullet shot in his head. “I want my 6-year-old daughter Aarna to know what her father stood for and what he did. She should know that what is the importance of earning a Kirti Chakra. Hence, I made it a point to be on the same soil where my husband lost his life to mark his first death anniversary,” Kumar’s wife Neha Tripathy told(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Punjab police today transferred 11 IPS officers, including three of DGP rank, an official spokesperson said. DGP Hardeep Dhillon, who was holding the charge of Internal Vigilance Cell (IVC) and welfare, has been given the key posting of law and order. ADGP Rohit Chaudhary, who was in charge of law and order, has been shifted as ADGP Railways, the spokesperson said. Senior IPS officer Jasminder Singh, who was holding DGP Railways post, has been shifted as DGP of IVC. M K Tiwari has been given the charge of DGP Administration while I P S Sahota has been appointed as ADGP Prisons. Senior IPS officer Sanjeev Kalra has been appointed as ADGP Welfare while B K Bawa has been given the charge of ADGP-cum-Commandant General, Punjab Home Guards. IPS officer Gaurav Yadav has been appointed as ADGP Security while Kuldeep Singh has been placed as ADGP Armed Battalions Jalandhar, the spokesperson said, adding Anita Punj has been shifted as IGP Training while Rakesh Aggarwal has been appointed as IGP CM security.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The Jammu and Kashmir government has promoted five Indian Police Service (IPS) officers to the Director General of Police (DGP) grade, an official spokesman said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here last evening. The cabinet sanctioned the promotion of D R Doley, Navin Agarwal, V K Singh, S M Sahai and Dilbag Singh with effect from January 1, 2017. The spokesman said while Doley, Agarwal and Sahai were promoted on a pro forma basis, Singh and Dilbag were promoted within the cadre. The cabinet also approved the re-designation of the ex- cadre post of Special DG (Coordination) as Special DG, Headquarters, and the continuation of the earlier identified post of Commandant General, Home Guards/Civil Defence/State Disaster Response Force, J-K, which has been declared equivalent to the rank and status of a DGP, with effect from January 1, 2017, for a period of two years, the spokesman said.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The state government today issued transfer orders of ten IPS officers with PR Deo being posted as new Director General of the State Vigilance Bureau. Deo, MD, Haryana Police Housing Corporation, Panchkula has been posted as DG, State Vigilance Bureau, Haryana. Parminder Rai, Director General (DG), State Vigilance Bureau (SVB), Panchkula will replace him as Chairman and Managing Director, Haryana Police Housing Corporation, an official release said here. Rajvant Pal Singh, Commandant General, Home Guard and Director, Civil Defence (H), Chandigarh will be the Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Rules at Police Headquarters in Panchkula, relieving K Selvaraj of the additional charge. BK Sinha, Special DG, SVB and DG, Bhondsi Complex, has been posted as Commandant General, Home Guard and Director, Civil Defence (H), Chandigarh, in place of Rajvant Pal Singh. Sudhir Chowdhary, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Prisons, will be the new ADG Administration, relieving RC Mishra of the additional charge. AS Chawla, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Law and Order, Police Headquarters, Panchkula, has been posted as Commissioner of Police, Panchkula relieving Mishra of the additional charge. CS Rao, IGP, SVB has been posted as IGP, South Range Rewari, in place of Hardeep Singh Doon, who has been posted as IGP, Haryana Armed Police Madhuban. Y Puran Kumar, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Administration swaps places with Rakesh Kumar Arya, DIG, CID.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>”Please cut my hands but pull me out of the debris,” implored Pragya Jadeja in a frail voice when she spotted an NDRF jawan looking out for survivors after the collapse of a residential building in suburban Ghatkopar. “Mere dono haath kaat do bhaiya, mujhe jaldi bahar nikaalo…nahi to main mar jaungi (cut my both the hands but please pull me out quickly otherwise I am going to die),” the 50-year-old said in a voice filled with pain and helplessness. Jadeja is one of the 11 survivors pulled out from under the rubble of the four-storey Siddhi Sai Cooperative Housing Society which collapsed Tuesday morning, claiming 17 lives. “We could hardly peep in to find that Jaedja’s both the hands were partially crushed between two big fallen walls. But we comforted her, cut the huge RCC structure, and finally pulled her out safe,” said constable Santosh Jadhav. Similarly, a 20-year-old woman was pulled out alive from under the mound by the rescuers who reached her after hearing her cries for help. “The woman was trapped under the huge pile of the rubble and was wailing in pain. We removed big pillars while praying that they don’t fall on her and then pulled her out,” said another personnel. A 47-member team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was pressed into the search and rescue operation immediately after the incident. The case of Rajesh Doshi, a resident of the ill-fated building, underlines how survival instinct comes into play in such tragedies. Doshi, whose legs got crushed under the debris, called up his son on his mobile phone around 6 pm, hours after the collapse, trying to explain his position. “Doshi called his son at 6 in the evening, but it took nearly eight hours to locate and rescue him safely. He was finally pulled out of the rubble around 2.45 am,” said a BMC official engaged in rescue operation. Deputy Commandant Mahesh Nalawade, who led the NDRF (Mumbai) team, said sophisticated equipment in their arsenal came handy for the jawans in saving lives. “Our team used sensors that could catch the heartbeat of people trapped under debris. We also used trained sniffer dogs. We lowered cameras from the passages/holes to locate who is trapped under the rubble and acted accordingly. We used cutters sparingly,” he said, adding the absence of rain came as a boon for the jawans.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) arrested two smugglers and seized 2.9 kg brown sugar, worth Rs 14.50 crore from their possession in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district, a SSB official said here today. During checking at Murarigachh check post in Vidhan Nagar police station area in Darjeeling district bordering Bihar’s Kishanganj district last evening, the SSB jawans with the help of West Bengal’s Narcotics Department sleuths nabbed two smugglers and seized 2.9 kg brown sugar, worth Rs 14.50 crore, Deputy Commandant of the SSB’s 12th Battalion, Kumar Sundaram said at the headquarters in Kishanganj. The smuggler duo, Bhuli Bibi and Budhadev Biswas, natives of Darjeeling, were carrying the contraband consignment to Siliguri to deliver it to a client, he said. The two smugglers were part of a wide network of drug suppliers in border areas of Bihar and West Bengal, Sundaram added.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan today announced exemption for soldiers from paying toll-tax on highways in the state. The decision came after a delegation of BSF officials apprised him about their grievances while he was on a personal tour to Jaisalmer. Jawans will be provided the relief in Madhya Pradesh after they present their official identity cards, he said. During his visit, the chief minister paid obeisance at the Tanot Temple here and wished for prosperity in Madhya Pradesh and the country. BSF South DIG Naresh Kumar and Commandant of the 135th battalion Dalveer Singh Ahlawat received Chouhan while the force’s jawans presented a guard of honour to him.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>In a bizarre incident, a gang of thieves broke into the residence of a Border Security Force Commandant’s house at Shahjahan Road and fled not with gold, or money, but 21 taps. The commandant who filed a police complaint said that he had recently been allotted the government accommodation and was yet to move in. Police are now checking the CCTV footage to identify the culprits.The incident took place earlier this week, and police received a complaint from Commandant Yogendradev Vashisht on Thursday.According to the police, Vashisht got possession of his government accommodation at D-II/28 Shahjahan Road, on June 7. He said that after the possession, he had visited the residence and slept there on June 8 and left the next day.”It was on Thursday that Vashisht returned to his Shahjahan Road residence and on checking he found that the taps of the kitchen and bathroom had been tampered with. When he checked the other rooms, he found two taps from the kitchen, two of the geyser, two taps from the sink, seven from a bathroom and nine from another bathroom were missing,” said a senior police officer.The officer then called up the police and got an FIR registered at the Tilak Marg police station. Police are now checking the CCTV footage of the nearby areas to find out who had barged into the premises of the government accommodation in the officer’s absence.Recently, there has been a rise in burglaries in this VIP residential area. Two days ago, a man operating in Lutyens’ Delhi was arrested. Police said the 30-year-old man was allegedly involved in more than a dozen cases of burglaries in the Lutyens’ zone and south Delhi.”We have started the search and surveillance is being maintained. Vigil has been tightened and the suspects are being closely watched,” said a senior police officer.Home invasionThe commandant had recently been allotted the flat and is yet to move in.Recently, there has been a rise in burglaries in this VIP residential area.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>An assistant commandant of the Indian Reserve Battalion (IRB) was killed when Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) activists clashed with security forces here today. The IRB second battalion Assistant Commandant Kiran Tamang was critically injured after being hit by a ‘khukri’ (sharp-edged weapon) during the clash, IRB sources said. He was taken to the hospital where he died, they said. GJM leader Binay Tamang claimed that two of his party workers were killed when the police opened fire at a GJM procession here. ADG (law and order) Anuj Sharma, however, denied the allegation and said the police did not open fire. “It was the GJM activists who opened fire,” he said.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Twenty security personnel were today decorated with the DG disc for killing four terrorists who attempted a ‘fidayeen’ attack on a CRPF camp in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir. CRPF Director General (DG) R R Bhatnagar flew down to the Valley and met the troops of the 45th battalion in Sumbal. Jammu and Kashmir police DGP S P Vaid accompanied him. Both the chiefs jointly decorated the troops, from CRPF as well as the JK Police, and pinned DG discs on the chests of the chosen 20 men, who undertook the operation along with others in the wee hours yesterday. Those awarded include Commandant of the 45th CRPF battalion Iqbal Ahmad, Assistant Commandants Shakar Lal Jat and Pankaj Hallu and two sentries whose were at the front and foiled the militants’ bid to breach the camp fence, constables Dinesh Raja and Prafulla Kumar, and guard commander Head Constable Pankaj Kumar. Few others from the Central Reserve Police Force and JK Police were also decorated with the honour, a senior official said. The DG disc is given to the troops in recognition of excellent service and undertaking special operations fraught with risk and danger. The two sentries made the first contact with the terrorists and rained heavy gunfire to thwart their attempts to breach the camp security. The gun battle ended with the elimination of the four terrorists. The heavily armed terrorists had tried to storm the CRPF camp in a pre-dawn ‘suicide’ attack in Sumbal, but were killed in retaliatory fire by the security forces led by the CRPF. The two forces will also recommend some of their personnel involved in the operation for gallantry awards, official said.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Four heavily armed terrorists today tried to storm a CRPF camp in a pre-dawn ‘suicide’ attack in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir, but were killed in retaliatory fire by security forces. The terrorists attempted to enter the camp of the CRPF’s 45th battalion at Sumbal in Bandipora at around 4.10 am by opening fire at the sentry post, a police official said. The terrorist fire was retaliated by the guards while reinforcement from Jammu and Kashmir Police was rushed to the scene of gunbattle, he said. “Four terrorists were killed in the retaliatory firing and the suicide attack was foiled,” the official said. He said four AK rifles, one underbarrel grenade launcher (UBGL) and substantial quantity of ammunition were recovered from the slain militants. In Delhi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the terrorists had intended a prolonged siege since they were carrying dry ration that could have lasted them several days. Giving the details of the incident, he said the terrorists, who were prepared to carry out a ‘fidayeen’ (suicide) attack, were carrying automatic rifles, grenades and incendiary material such as petrol, and had intended a prolonged siege to cause extensive damage, he said in a statement. The home minister said the terrorists attempted to enter the camp by cutting the wire fencing and started firing at the sentry post. The sentries responded with alacrity and returned their fire, he said, noting that the terrorists also lobbed more than two dozen grenades. Singh said the Central Reserve Police Force personnel, in cooperation with men from an adjoining Jammu and Kashmir Police camp, killed all the four terrorists. The home minister said the CRPF and the police personnel showed exemplary courage and valour by thwarting the terrorist attempt. “It is inspiring to see CRPF men staying awake all night and maintaining a tight vigil, and to see the Jammu and Kashmir Police coming to the CRPF’s assistance quickly,” he said. Singh congratulated the CRPF, particularly, its 45th battalion, and the J-K Police for their “alertness and unmatched courage”. “Their joint efforts have brought glory to our forces,” he said. The home minister said all brave officers and jawans posted at Sumbal camp “need to be cited for their alertness and unmatched bravery”. Singh made a special mention of the courage displayed by CRPF Commandant Iqbal Ahmad, company commanders Shankarlal Jat and Pankaj Hallu, Guard Commander Pankaj Kumar and constables K Dinesh Raja and Praful Kumar of the Sumbal camp in foiling the attack.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Naxals torched a signal set and communication system and partially damaged engine of a goods train at Dumri Bihar railway station in Bokaro, Jharkhand.The Civil Police received the information early morning today that at around 11:30 pm yesterday, Naxals vandalized the train engine and burnt down the communication system.After the intelligence was verified, Commandant 26 Bn CRPF and SP Bokaro along with unit Quick Action Team left for the site of the incident.An investigation has been launched.More details to be followed.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel who were injured in an IED blast triggered by Maoists in Chhattisgarh?s Sukma district, have been airlifted by helicopter to Raipur for further treatment. ?Casualties picked up from Sukma and being brought to Raipur,? Air Commodore Ajay Shukla said. Earlier in the day, on specific information troops of 2nd Battalion CRPF led by Commandant R.S. Shekhawat conducted a search operation in Paraiya, Sukma district. An exchange of fire took place between them and the Naxals. Thereafter, the Naxals fled from the scene taking advantage of the forested area. While the troops were returning back, a blast took place in which HC/GD K K Tyagi and CT/GD Mithun Kumar sustained injuries on their legs. Immediately, they were taken to the unit hospital in Sukma. Reportedly, the injured are now stable and out of danger. Recently, 25 CRPF personnel were killed and five others injured in a Naxal attack in Sukma. Personnel of the CRPF’s 74th Battalion as they were assisting the local population in road building and clearing activity.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> Military honor and wreath laying ceremony was conducted at INS Dega in Visakhapatnam to pay tribute to the Kupwara attack braveheart Venkataramana. The ceremony was conducted by Colonel B Parkhe Admin Commandant, Station HQs (Army) Visakhapatnam and Captain SA Joglekar, Commanding Officer INS Dega. PGVR Naidu Gana Babu, an MLA from Visakhapatnam West constituency, representatives of the District Administration, police and Captain P. Satya Prasad (Retd.), Zilla Sainik Welfare Officer, also paid tributes to the deceased. Following the ceremony the body of the soldier was shifted to his home at Asavanipalem in Visakhapatnam. Three bravehearts on Thursday made the supreme sacrifice for the country when terrorists launched an ambush on the Panzgam camp, near Chowkibal in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. Seven other soldiers were also injured in the attack whereas two terrorists were neutralised.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> A sniffer dog named cracker was martyred in an anti-Naxal operation in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh. A CRPF jawan was also injured after a pressure Improvised explosive device (IED) blasted near Chinna Kodepal area, two kilometers away from Chinnakodepal camp of 170 Battalion here. The IED blast was triggered by Maoists at around 4: 20 p.m., when the Road Opening Party (ROP) was closing back to the camp. The sniffer dog died on the spot, whereas the dog handler Commandant B. Bhanu Prakash Reddy received minor splinter injury in his hand.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>A BSF officer, who lost his eye-sight fighting insurgents, was in for a pleasant surprise today when Home Minister Rajnath Singh came to visit him and shared a meal with the family. Singh, who was here to attend a passing out ceremony, was told by senior BSF officers about Assistant Commandant Sandeep Mishra and his wife Indrakshi, who got married four years after he lost his eye-sight in 2000 while fighting insurgents in Assam. In a touching gesture, the Home Minister visited the house of Mishra, who has a nine-year-old daughter, in the sprawling campus of the border guarding force. Singh praised the valour of the officer, who is in his 40s, and gladly accepted the request of the couple to join them for lunch. “Met the family of visually challenged BSF Assistant Commandant Sandip Mishra who lost his eye sight during an ambush in 2000. “It is their love for the country which binds Sandip and Indrakshi together. It was a delight to have lunch at their home in Tekanpur,” Singh said. The Home Minister, who spent nearly an hour with Mishra and his family, said the BSF officer derives strength from his wife Indrakshi “who decided to marry him in spite of him being specially abled”.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> The pain in the voice of constable Esakki Muthu was palpable. Esakki Muthu has lost his ?son? Pluto in an (Improvised Explosive Device) IED blast. The impact was borne by Pluto. Muthu and the CRPF have not forgotten this brave heart, who gave his life and saved the lives of four others. Pluto led the life of a dedicated combatant of the 229 Battalion of the force and sacrificed himself in the selfless service of the nation. Commandant Viswanath terms the services of these combatants as ?important? and says, ?These dogs add strength to the kind of operations we handle in the jungles.? Pluto was an Infantry patrolling dog of the 229 BN. Viswanath is the commanding officer of this battalion and has more than 1200 personnel under him handling the crucial task of countering insurgency in the area. Pluto, a Belgian shepherd, had succeeded in sniffing out the IED but it abruptly exploded when it pressed the planted explosive. There was no physical impact on handler, Esakki Muthu, but it has left an emotional scar on him. Muthu, while speaking to ANI, said, ?He was like my son. He was not even fully grown up as an adult. It saved my life. I did not cry this much when I lost my father in 2006.? According to the CRPF officials, it is rare for a sniffer dog to get killed this way. It got killed after the dog unexpectedly hit the pressure IED planted by the outlawed CPI (Maoist) in restive Bijapur district, south Chhattisgarh. The IED blast occurred at Murdanda village in Basaguda about 350 km south of Raipur when the “trained” dog, part of a patrolling team of CRPF?s 229 battalion was out on a search operation in Bijapur. The brave-heart was accorded the status of ?martyr? by the force and it was laid to rest with full honour and gun salute. Pluto is the second canine after ‘Aminka’, who has lost its life. Aminka was killed on January 18 in Jharkhand’s Latehar. First of its kind memorial is being made in the name of Aminka in Jharkhand?s Latehar. Both dogs were two of the top class battle-hardened ‘Belgian Malinois’ infantry patrol canines of the country’s largest paramilitary force. Both of them were course toppers at their training academy at Taralu near Bengaluru. The incident of Pluto?s death occurred on January 21 this year when 35 personnel of 229 Battalion, along with Pluto and its handler, went out for road opening duty at the site of road construction from Murdanda camp towards Timapur. While the Road Opening Party of the 229 Battallion was sanitising the area, an IED with pressure mechanism exploded at about 0850 hrs. It was placed under soil in bushes with pressure mechanism and Pluto was identifying the suspected place of IED. During tracing of the IED, dog Pluto accidentally stepped on the pressure mechanism of the explosive which was placed under soil resulting in blast and the canine lost its life. Pluto was trained at Dog Breeding and Training School, Taralu, Karnataka. The CRPF understands well the importance of these four legged soldiers and had established Dog Breeding and Training School at Taralu, Bengaluru in August 2011. The importance of the canine soldiers is emphasized well by Commandant Viswanath. ?While we are working in the life and death situation these dogs add strength as face to face encounter we are trained to handle but what takes a toll is the battle of unknown. It is here that our Canine wing which acts as a force multiplier,? he said. He added that for men on ground, the presence of dogs also acts a psychological hedge and adds to the layer of security. But, he rues that this huge contribution of dogs like Pluto is not visible to the outside world. But to the dog handlers, it leaves an emotional scar. Muthu was handling Pluto when it sacrificed itself. The loss of Pluto in front of his eyes left him shattered. ?I was mentally disturbed. Pluto was just 1 year 4 months old. He was my son to me. This incident left such a void that I was not feeling like working and I left for leave within few days.? On asking to take up assignment of dog handling again he replied to never do it again. ?Dogs in these difficult operational areas are a necessity. But, I will not be able to do this duty again. In my incident only, if Pluto was not there then our Unit would have lost at least 3-4 jawans. Pluto has given me the second life.? Aminka, a female Belgian Shepherd (Malinois) bitch was born at DB & TS Taralu on March 1, 2014 from own breeding stock. Aminka had undergone training in Batch No. 10 with its two handlers Constable Prasanna Kr. Sahoo and constable Prakash Kumar Samal. After completion of , the dog was deployed in 207 CoBRA since May 12, 2015. While on duty on 17/01/2017 at BurhaPahar, Latehar, Jharkhand Aminka got martyred in an IED blast while performing search in Ops duty. Dog handler Constable Prakash Kumar Samal has also sustained minor injury in the incident but was safe. There are nine canine soldiers which have served the force and the country have been decorated with highest recognition of the force, Director general Commendation Disc. The Dog Breeding and Training School at Taralu, Bengaluru has trained 15 batches of dogs by now. The Passing Out Parade of the dogs and handlers of the 16th batch took on March 17 in the presence of the senior officials of CRPF, Civil Police and Central and State Government officials. These 16 dogs are set to be taking up the challenging task of counter-insurgency operations primarily in the LWE areas thus playing a crucial role in saving lives of troops and civilians. A dog generally retires at the age of eight which can be extended if found suitable by a board of officers. They also are prematurely retired if they don?t perform well or fall ill. Even after the retirement, the dogs are looked after by the concerned unit till they die. The unit spends an amount of Rs 10, 000 per month for their feed, treatment and kit. In a short span of time, the institute has trained and deployed 245 dogs in fields. Pluto and Aminika have added to the glorious list of dogs which brought laurels to DBTS and the CRPF. The passing-out parade on Monday was attended by senior officers from CRPF, police, central and state government officials. Principal DBTS Deputy Commandant Sunil tells ANI, ?I don?t get emotional to hear of the loss of our four legged soldiers because it also means that while performing their duty they contributed towards not just saving lives of the others in the Unit but have also done a service to the nation. In fact, with the gradual training module I become more confident of these silent soldiers that they will earn laurels for their respective units. ? These dogs accompany the jawans of various units involved in handling the Insurgency, Left Wing Extremism and in the counter terrorism operations. In the recent years, the CRPF have lost its 28 jawans in the 50 kilometers stretch between Bijapur and Sarkeguda. But with the contribution of canines this has come down in the recent years. One month depression, his wife called, CO counseled (it saved so many lives) Master Trainer Sandeep Pandey said, ?The formal training of these dogs starts once they complete three months but the separation from mother is done after they are 28 days. This period is spent in socialization by which pups are socially exposed, are exposed to controlled explosion. On achieving the 3 months of age, two handlers are assigned with each dog and the crucial training from here lasts for 40 weeks. The dogs are trained in two trades, tracking and Infantry Patrol.? During the training, dogs are trained IED detection, agility, obedience and assault (to attack on enemy, criminal, anti-social). Infantry Patrol leads to training in indicating ambush from distance with the smell of human body, gun oils. In the recent past, Dog Hugo of the 94 battalion caught two Naxals along with their weapons. During this training, the handlers get emotionally attached as these innocent animals get totally dependent upon them for their every need and repose their unflinching trust in their handlers. The CRPF, with its approximate 240 operational battalions, is today the world?s largest para military force. Being the leading designated counter insurgency force of the country, it is deployed in all the hypersensistive theatres of the country with almost 86 battalions in Naxal affected areas, 35 battalions in Northeast and 60 battalions in Jammu and Kashmir. Each battalion fighting the Maoists in Jharkhand has at least six-eight sniffer dogs, mostly Belgian Shepherds. These sniffer dogs move in the jungles with the forces and sniff for explosives and hunt the ultras holed up in the woods. The CRPF is having total 693 dogs out of which 337 Labrador, 271 Belgium Shepherd Malinois, 59 German shepherd. 26 Belgium Shepherd (pups) are undergoing training.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Tapir Gao, the president of Arunachal Pradesh unit of BJP, was today “intercepted” by the Income Tax Department at the Guwahati airport where he was allegedly found carrying cash worth Rs 10.5 lakh from poll- bound Manipur, the CISF said. The Central Industrial Security Force, which handles security at the nation’s airports, said that the cash was beyond the permissible limit set by the Election Commission. Gao, however, maintained that it was his personal money and was not related to the elections. Gao was first stopped by CISF personnel at the airport in Imphal, Manipur’s capital, as he was about to get on a flight to Guwahati. He was, however, allowed to board his flight with the cash, under intimation to their counterparts and the IT Department at the destination airport. The CISF Commandant at the Guwahati airport, M Haokip, said that Gao was intercepted by the force personnel following a tip-off from Imphal. “We have intercepted Gao as he was carrying cash beyond permissible limits of the Election Commission. Therefore, we have informed the Air Intelligence Wing of the Income Tax Department which further took action on the cash,” he said. Income Tax Department sources said the cash was declared by Gao as funds under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY), the final black money disclosure window provided by the government post-demonetisation. When contacted, Gao said it was his personal money and the party has nothing to do with it. “I was intercepted at the airport and I don’t know about the declaration to the tax department. But it was my personal money and my party BJP has nothing to do with it,” he told(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –> Injured Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Commanding Officer Chetan Cheeta’s medical condition continues to remain critical, but stable. The medical bulletin released today said Chetan does not have fever and broad spectrum of antibiotics is being given to him. The Commandant of the 45 Battalion of the CRPF sustained multiple wounds during an encounter with militants in Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on February 14. As many as three army personnel were killed and seven others were injured in the encounters in the Hajin area of Bandipora. One LeT terrorist was also killed in the encounter. The Indian Army officers recovered both arms and ammunitions.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>In a major reshuffle, Jammu and Kashmir government has transferred and posted about 60 police officers, including 9 IGPs and 4 DIGs. Senior IPS officer S D Singh Jamwal has been appointed as new Police Chief of Jammu region and Alok Puri as head of the State Crime Branch. 47 Additional SPs, SPs and SSPs have been transferred, including posting of I I Parray as new SSP of Srinagar. The state Cabinet which met here this evening under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti ordered 60 transfers and postings in the police department. Mohammad Sulaiman Salaria, IPS, IGP Railways has been transferred and posted as Director SKPA Udhampur, while Alok Puri, IPS, IGP Vigilance has been transferred and posted as IGP Crime. S D Singh Jamwal, IPS, awaiting orders of posting has been posted as IGP Jammu Zone, official spokesman said. Rajesh Kumar, Director SKPA Udhampur has been transferred and posted as IGP Railways followed by Sunil Kumar, IGP Armed Kashmir has been transferred and posted as IGP Telecommunications, Danesh Rana, IGP Jammu Zone has been transferred and posted as IGP Home Guards, Jagjit Kumar, IGP, Security has been transferred and posted as IGP Traffic. Similarly, Mubarak Ahmad Ganai, IGP Telecommunications has been transferred and posted as IGP Armed Kashmir, followed by J P Singh, Commissioner, Civil Military Liaison, Home Department, who has been transferred and posted as IGP (Personnel) PHQ, against an available vacancy, he said. On his promotion, Deepak Kumar Salathia, Commandant IRP 7th Bn has been transferred and posted as DIG Rajouri-Poonch, in his own Pay and Grade, vice Uttam Chand, who has been approved for posting on central deputation. Rafeeq-ul-Hassan, Commandant JKAP 3rd BN on his promotion has been transferred and posted as DIG Armed Kashmir in his own pay and grade against an available vacancy followed by Varinder Sharma, SSP CID SB Jammu transferred and posted as DIG Udhampur Reasi Range, Vijay Kumar, Commandant JKAP 4th Btn transferred and posted as DIG IRP Jammu, spokesman said. Amit Kumar, SSP Srinagar has been transferred and posted as SSP CID SB Jammu, followed by Imtiyaz Ismail Parray posted as SP Srinagar, Pande Rajiv Omprakash, SP (A) CID Headquarters posted as Poonch, Sandeep,IPS (RR: 2012), SP South Srinagar transferred and posted as SP South Jammu, Chandan Kohli, IPS (RR: 2013), SDPO East Jammu on his promotion has been posted as Additional SP Pulwama. Similarly Amod Nagpure Ashok,IPS (RR: 2013), SDPO Sadder Srinagar on his promotion has been posted as Additional SP Budgam, followed by Ashish Kumar Mishra, IPS (RR: 2013), SDPO Sopore on his promotion has been posted as SP South Srinagar, Ramesh Kumar Jalla, SSP SB Kashmir transferred and posted as SSP Crime Jammu, Ranjit Kanwar, Principal PTTI Vijaypur posted as Principal PTS Kathua, Ashok Kumar Sharma, SSP PCR Jammu posted as SSP Security Jammu, he said.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Expensive and sleek snow scooters, usually found at ice-capped tourist spots for adventure sport lovers, have for the first time being inducted for patrol by ITBP troops along the Sino-Indian frontier. Five of these powerful scooters, procured from a US-based firm, have been deployed at high-altitude border locations of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Ladakh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim that overlook the Chinese PLA deployment on the other side. Officials said the modern scooters, all costing around a crore, can seat two personnel (driver and pillion rider) with their rifle and ammunition in tow and can negotiate a 45 degree slope on the hills and are supported by chaincase belts to help the 278 kg machine glide smooth and cut through the ice. The force, as part of bolstering its capabilities to effectively secure the 3,488km border, had last year procured over six dozen SUVs and sent them to far-flung border areas for patrol and transport. This is the first time that such scooters, used for tourist purposes in the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and by defence forces for training, have been procured and inducted for operational roles by Indian Security forces. “These snow scooters have been procured as part of the modernisation of the force to better equip the personnel on ground in rendering their duties in the hard areas they serve. These will act as force multipliers,” ITBP spokesperson Deputy Commandant Vivek K Pandey told(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>A 28-year-old woman has been arrested for allegedly entering a Central Reserve Police Force camp, near Sutiyana village here, posing as a steno in the para-military force, police said today. “The incident happened around 8 PM yesterday when Monika, a resident of Karnal in Haryana, wearing CRPF uniform, entered the camp posing as a steno,” DSP Rakesh Kumar said. CRPF officiers got suspicious and inquired her, during which it was found that she was not working with the force. Following which, Assistant Commandant Mohan Singh informed the Ecotech police, which rushed to the spot and arrested her, the official said. Kumar said woman also confessed that she had delibrately entetred the camp.(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Five days after an oil tanker and an LPG tanker collided off the Kamarajar Port Ltd (KPL) at Ennore resulting in an oil leak, the fast spreading oil spill threatens to affect the coastal environment and livelihood of fishermen.KPL has ordered an inquiry by marine expert Captain Subhash Kumar, whose report is expected in a week. In a statement, it also said that the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management has been appointed to study the impact on environment.On Thursday, the Coast Guard, which is spearheading the clean-up operation, continued manual scooping out of the sludge, using buckets, as mechanical equipment went non-operational.”In the last four days, we have manually removed 65 tonnes of sludge and another 54 tonnes of oil and water by using super sucker vacuum trucks. The sucker machines are very ineffective,” Coast Guard Commandant Pradeep B Mandal told DNA. He noted that about 80 per cent of the cleaning work was completed and expected to finish it in a day or two at Eranavur near Ennore.Apart from the main hotspot at Ernavur, seven more were identified by the Coast Guard. As many as 750 persons, including Coast Guard personnel and volunteers from various departments, were engaged in the physical removal of sludge.The Coast Guard has estimated over 20 tonnes of oil spill from the ship as against the initial estimate of one tonne. “There is a vast difference between the quantity of the oil spilt and the sludge recovered since the oil gets coagulated and becomes puffy when it is recovered along with water and sand stored in drums,” KPL said in a statement on Thursday evening.City-based environmental activist Nityanand Jayaraman blamed the KPL management. “Oil spill could have been easily contained if the port management had given correct information. They lied about the quantity of the leak and that led to the current disaster,” he said.K Bharathi, president of South Indian Fishermen’s Welfare Association, said: “The oil spill has spread up to five nautical miles in the sea affecting all marine species and fishes and ma ny Olive Ridley turtles were washed ashore dead,” he said.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>The Coast Guard today nabbed 139 fishermen on charges of undertaking unlawful fishing activity in turtle concentration zones of Odisha’s Gahirmatha marine sanctuary. Fourteen fishing trawls used by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited sanctuary area were seized by the patrolling unit. The interception took place early today near Satabhaya coast about 11 nautical miles from Paradip coast, Coast Guard Commandant Ashis told(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Nineteen soldiers of the 4 and 9 Para, the special forces’s units which undertook the daring cross-border surgical strike across LoC, have been awarded gallantry medals including a Kirti Chakra while their commanding officers have been given Yudh Sewa Medal. Major Rohit Suri of 4 Para, who led one of the teams across the LoC targeting terrorists’ launch pads, was awarded the Kirti Chakra, second highest peacetime gallantry award, on the eve of the Republic Day. Havildar Prem Bahadur Resmi Magar of the Gorkha Rifles got the Kirti Chakra posthumously. Col Kapil Yadav, commanding officer of 9 Para and Col Harpreet Sandhu, Commanding Officer of 4 Para, were awarded the Yudh Sewa Medal, one of India’s military decorations awarded to mark distinguished service during war time is awarded for a high degree of distinguished service in an operational content, including times of war, conflict, or hostilities and may also be awarded posthumously. The award is the wartime equivalent of the Vishisht Seva Medal, which is a decoration for peace time distinguished service.Five personnel from the two para units also got Shaurya Chakra while 13 got Sena Medal (Gallantry).The Army conducted surgical strikes on terrorist launchpads across the Line of Control in September last year, after a terrorist attack on an army camp in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir claimed the lives of 19 jawans.The strikes were widely hailed by as a strong retaliation, and the Army’s new chief General Bipin Rawat has said it is prepared to use the tactic again if needed.Those who have been awarded posthumously included Naik Gawade Pandurang Mahadev who has been given Shaurya Chakra. Lt Col Ranjit Singh Pawar, Major Krishnan Manoj Kumar, Major Amit Deswal Naik Ran Singh, Naik Vijaykumar S, Sepoy Ram Chander of DSC, Sepoy Satya Prakash Singh and Sepoy Satish of DSC along with Signalman Ajay Singh Choudhary were awarded Sena Medal (Gallantry) posthumously.The President has approved award of 398 gallantry and other defence decorations to armed forces personnel and others on the eve of the 68th Republic Day Celebrations.This includes two Kirti Chakras, 12 Shaurya Chakras, three Bar to Sena Medal (Gallantry), 91 Sena Medal (Gallantry), two Nao Sena Medal (Gallantry), four Vayu Sena Medal (Gallantry), 29 Param Vishisht Seva Medal, five Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, two Bar to Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 49 Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, 14 Yudh Seva Medal, four Bar to Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 36 Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), eight Nao Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), 14 Vayu Sena Medal (Devotion to Duty), four Bar to Vishisht Seva Medal and 119 Vishisht Seva Medal. The President has also approved seven awards to Indian Coast Guard Personnel for gallantry, meritorious service and distinguished service.Three Tatrakshak Medal (Gallantry) have been awarded to Commandant Anwar Khan, Pardeep and Sandeep. One President’s Tatrakshak Medal (Distinguished Service) has been awarded to Inspector General Virender Singh Pathania.Three Tatrakshak Medal (Meritorious Service) have been awarded to Deputy Inspector General Satyajit Krishnaji Vaidya, Deputy Inspector General Shajen Kurian and Commandant Jashbir Singh Randhaawaa.Besides these, 44 personnel from Army and others have also been awarded ‘Mention-in-Despatches’ by the Government, which include four for ‘Operation Meghdoot’, 32 for ‘Operation Rakshak’, five for ‘Operation Rhino’, two for ‘Operation Orchid’ and one for ‘Operation Hifazat’.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>Security forces averted a major tragedy after they killed two Pakistani Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) militants who were tasked with carrying out sensational attacks on the eve of Republic Day in Srinagar.Police said following a tip-off about the presence of militants in Shuhama village in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, police along with Rashitrya Rifles and CRPF jawans cordoned off the area and launched a search operation.“The militants opened fire on the joint search party which was retaliated, triggering an encounter. The encounter ended with the killing of two LeT militants —Qari Hanzullah and Anas Bilal — both residents of Pakistan,” a police spokesman said. Police said the militants were asked by their Pakistani mentors to carry out attacks on the security forces and civilians on the eve of Republic Day in district Ganderbal and Srinagar,” the spokesman added.Police said the slain militants were also involved in a fidayeen attack at Nowhatta in which the Commandant of CRPF’s 49 battalion Pramod Kumar and police constable Rouf Ahmad were killed on Independence day last year.“They were involved in the attack on SSB convoy at Zakoora Srinagar on October 14 in which one Jawan was martyred and seven personnel were injured. A police constable was also injured in the incident. The slain militants were involved in several terror activities, including the killing of a civilian Abdul Ahad Dar at Gusoo Zakoora Srinagar in May 2015”, said the spokesman.Operating in Srinagar and Ganderbal since January 2013, the duo had recently started coordinating with Hizbul Mujhadeen outfit in the central Kashmir. “These slain militants were transporting newly-infiltrated groups from one place to another and were managing safe houses and hideouts for them,” said the police spokesman.

<!– /11440465/Dna_Article_Middle_300x250_BTF –>A notorious Maoist and regional committee member Dimba Pahan surrendered before Khunti police officials and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) security forces in c on . Pahan, who was carrying a reward of Rs 15 lakh on his head, surrendered before Superintendent of Police, Ashwaini Kumar Sinha, in the presence of Deputy Inspector General of Police, RK Dhan, Commandant Raj Kumar and other police officers.A cheque of Rs 15 lakh was also handed over to Pahan under the state government’s surrender policy for rehabilitation.